The record list of 120 citation holders was announced earlier this week to recognise employer commitment and best practice in promoting gender equality in Australian workplaces, with the aged care provider awarded Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation for the 12th consecutive year.

Benetas Chief Executive Officer Sandra Hills says the organisation is “thrilled” to receive the citation, which was not only for their support and enabling the professional development of women, but also their growing efforts in encouraging men to enter the aged care workforce.

“We pride ourselves on our commitment to diversity, inclusion and gender equality,” she says.

“In our efforts to achieve the citation we constantly push ourselves to develop innovative new ways to promote and support gender equality [and] achieving this citation year after year is a priority for Benetas.”

Ms Hills notes that the health care and social sectors are “heavily female dominated”, with women making up 84 percent of the workforce, and says creating gender balance is largely about challenging gender stereotypes.

WGEA Director Libby Lyons congratulates the 2017-18 citation holders for their commitment to and recognition of the many benefits improved gender equality can bring, and says these employers are setting the benchmark and the pace for other Australian workplaces to follow.

“It is encouraging to see some new citation holders this year in fields as diverse as engineering, manufacturing, insurance, IT and entertainment,” Ms Lyons says.

“Each industry and each business has its own gender equality challenges [but] we are confident that all our citation holders are driving change in their own organisations as well as playing a leadership role to promote gender equality across their industries and in the wider community.”

Trends among this year’s Employer of Choice Gender Equality citation recipients include entrenching organisation-wide flexible work practices, tailored parental leave policies to support use by women and men, programs to increase women in leadership, initiatives to attract women into male-dominated roles and robust analysis and correction of gender pay gaps.